رِوايَةٌa tale قَدindeed رَوَتrecounted عَنabout أُمَّةِthe nation of العَرَبِthe Arabs
رِوايَةٌ قَد رَوَت عَن أُمَّةِ العَرَبِ
ماwhat لَيسَis not يُنسىforgotten عَلىthroughout الأَيّامthe days وَالحِقَبِand the ages
ما لَيسَ يُنسى عَلى الأَيّام وَالحِقَبِ
A tale has told of the Arab nation
A tale that told of the Arab nation
What will not be forgotten through days and ages:
Deeds not forgotten as days and eras pass
مَآثِرٌnoble deeds فيin سجلِّthe register of المَجدِglory قَدindeed كتَبَتwere recorded
مَآثِرٌ في سجلِّ المَجدِ قَد كتَبَت
لَوif أَنصِفَتْthey were given their due خَطَّهاwould inscribe them الرَّاوونَthe narrators بِالذَّهَبin gold
لَو أَنصِفَتْ خَطَّها الرَّاوونَ بِالذَّهَب
Deeds of distinction recorded in glory’s register—
Achievements written in the scroll of glory
Were they given their due, narrators would inscribe them in gold.
That if transcribed in gold would be truly classed
هُمthey الرِّجالُthe men رِجالُmen of الفَخرِglory ذكرهمُtheir memory
هُم الرِّجالُ رِجالُ الفَخرِ ذكرهمُ
باقٍenduring عَلىthroughout الدَّهرِtime فيin الأَفواهِmouths وَالكُتُبِand books
باقٍ عَلى الدَّهرِ في الأَفواهِ وَالكُتُبِ
They are the men, the men of glory; their memory
These were the men, the men of pride we mention
Endures through time, on lips and in books.
Whose fame forever lives in word and text
أَهلُpeople of المَزِيةِdistinction فيin بَأسٍvalor وَفيand in كَرَمٍgenerosity
أَهلُ المَزِيةِ في بَأسٍ وَفي كَرَمٍ
وَسَادةُand masters of الشِّعرِpoetry وَالأَقوالِand speech وَالخُطبِand oratory
وَسَادةُ الشِّعرِ وَالأَقوالِ وَالخُطبِ
Men of distinction in valor and in generosity,
The people of excellence, in valor and generosity
And masters of poetry, speech, and oratory.
And the masters of verse, words and address
كَمhow many غَصَّteemed نادٍa gathering بِهِمwith them قَدَماًof old وَكَمand how many عَمَرَتenlivened
كَم غَصَّ نادٍ بِهِم قَدَماً وَكَم عَمَرَت
آثارَهُمtheir legacies نادياًan assembly فيamong العُجمِnon-Arabs وَالعَرَبِand Arabs
آثارَهُم نادياً في العُجمِ وَالعَرَبِ
How many a gathering teemed with them of old; how often have
How many places thrived where they stepped
Their legacies enlivened assemblies among non-Arabs and Arabs.
And how long did their works thrive among foreigners and Arabs
ظَلْناwe continued نُطارحُexchanging عَنهُمabout them كُلَّevery نادِرَةٍremarkable anecdote
ظَلْنا نُطارحُ عَنهُم كُلَّ نادِرَةٍ
لَمdid not تَخْلُbe devoid مِنof أَدَبٍinstruction لِلمَرءِfor a person أَوor طَرَبِdelight
لَم تَخْلُ مِن أَدَبٍ لِلمَرءِ أَو طَرَبِ
We kept exchanging every remarkable tale about them,
We kept relating each rare incident of theirs
None without instruction or delight for the hearer.
That was not devoid of the refinement or joy of man
حَتّىuntil تَبَدّتappeared لَناto us أَشخاصُهُمtheir forms فَقَضىand so experienced
حَتّى تَبَدّت لَنا أَشخاصُهُم فَقَضى
مِنbecause of أَجلِهاthem كُلّevery وَهمٍimagination أَعجَبthe greatest of العَجَبِwonders
مِن أَجلِها كُلّ وَهمٍ أَعجَب العَجَبِ
Until their forms appeared before us, and then
Until their personages became clear to us and so
Every imagination, because of them, knew the greatest wonder.
Every perplexing apprehension came to its relief
فيon لَيلَةٍa night لَمdid not يَكُنexist لِلحلمfor dreams مُنتَجِعٌa refuge
في لَيلَةٍ لَم يَكُن لِلحلم مُنتَجِعٌ
فيهاwithin it وَلاnor فيin الكَرىsleep لِلطَّرفِfor the eye مِنany أَرَبِdesire
فيها وَلا في الكَرى لِلطَّرفِ مِن أَرَبِ
On a night when dreams had no refuge
In a night where sleep found no refuge
Within it, nor the eye any longing for sleep.
Nor eyes in seeing, any rest
بِتناwe spent the night نَرىseeing مَنthose who خَلاpassed before مِنof مَعشَرa people دَرَجواthey passed away
بِتنا نَرى مَن خَلا مِن مَعشَر دَرَجوا
كَأَنَّهُمas though they أُنشِرواwere resurrected مِنfrom دارسِtimeworn التُّربِdust
كَأَنَّهُم أُنشِروا مِن دارسِ التُّربِ
We spent the night beholding those of old, a people long departed,
We saw the procession of those who passed
As though raised again from the timeworn dust.
As if they were resurrected from the abode of dust
ثُمَthen اِنقَضَواthey departed وَإِلىand to اللَّهِGod المَصيرthe return وَماand nothing
ثُمَ اِنقَضَوا وَإِلى اللَّهِ المَصير وَما
يَبقىremains سِوىexcept وَجههُHis face المَيمونُblessed فيwithin الحجبِthe veils
يَبقى سِوى وَجههُ المَيمونُ في الحجبِ
Then they were gone; to God is the return, and nothing
Then they vanished, and to God was their return, so nothing
Remains but His blessed face behind the veils.
Remained save His Auspicious Countenance behind the veils
لِلّهِto God ناشرُthe unfolder of هَذاthis البَردmantle مِنas رجلٍa man
لِلّهِ ناشرُ هَذا البَرد مِن رجلٍ
وَفيand in النَّجابةِnobility حَقَّtrue الفَضلِexcellence وَالأَدبِand letters
وَفي النَّجابةِ حَقَّ الفَضلِ وَالأَدبِ
God bless the man who unfolds this mantle—
By God, the sender of this cool morning breeze
A man of nobility, true excellence, and letters.
Rightfully the excellence and refinement of man
قَدindeed جَدَّدتْhas renewed يَدهhis hand وَشيَthe embroidery of القَديمthe old لَناfor us
قَد جَدَّدتْ يَده وَشيَ القَديم لَنا
وَإِنَّand indeed فيin الخَمرِwine مَعنىًa quality لَيسَis not فيin العنَبِgrapes
وَإِنَّ في الخَمرِ مَعنىً لَيسَ في العنَبِ
His hand has renewed for us the embroidery of old,
His hand renewed what had grown old for us
And indeed, in wine lies a quality not found in grapes.
And though grapes hold no such meaning as wine
Sol 6.1